Responses to Reviews:
RonaldM40196867: Maybe. I've never looked into it that deeply.
Zigzagdoublezee: Chen's plan is a good one, if I do say so myself. I wanted to give her a bit more to do in these chapters.
Pan2000: Chikao and his theatre group didn't want anything to do with this but they've been caught up in it anyway. They're also an extended reference to a completely different show. And as for Zuko, the effects of his three year banishment and obsession with finding the Avatar didn't happen in this timeline so he's a much better person for it.
As Always, Please Review!
Zuko crept downstairs and peered into the inn's relatively lavish entrance hall. From here, the jeers and calls of the angry mob outside were extremely loud, accompanied by a constant banging sound as they tried to smash open the door. Fortunately, they hadn't managed it yet, and Zuko was impressed by how sturdy it was.
A man's head appeared from behind the receptionist's desk.
"Go back to your room!" He said. "This will all blow over!"
He did not sound sure though.
"We have a plan to escape," Zuko told him.
"You mean you're helping those actors?" The receptionist demanded.
Zuko just shrugged.
"I suppose somebody's got to do it."
"Why? We're Earth Kingdom! They're Fire Nation! And they're rubbish! Don't they deserve it?"
Zuko was suddenly seized by the urge to punch the man, but instead he just scowled.
"If you really believe that, then why haven't you opened the door?"
"Because they'll trash the place!" The man said.
"And that's the only reason?"
"Shut up!" The receptionist didn't answer, instead choosing to just insult him.
A moment later, a face appeared, white with fear.
"Is it safe?" Chikao asked. He was now dressed in a thick green robe that engulfed his entire body, and had wrapped a scarf around the lower half of his face.
"I think so," Zuko nodded. "Do you know the plan?"
"Your girlfriend explained it to us," Chikao said. Then he sighed.
"I suppose... if it all goes wrong, I want to apologise."
"It's not going to go wrong," Zuko nodded. "The plan is simple. All you need to do is pretend to hate yourselves for about five minutes and then we're free."
"Yeah," Chikao nodded. "The thing is... that may prove difficult."
"How would it be difficult?"
Chikao looked down.
"Look, it pains me to say this, but our group is sometimes a little... unlucky, when it comes to putting on performances."
"I went to see you, you lot can't act to save your lives!" The receptionist pointed at him accusingly.
The director sighed.
"I don't appreciate that comment about my actors," he said, "but I have to admit it's not entirely inaccurate. Which is a problem because your plan relies on us acting to save our lives."
"You'll be fine," Zuko told him firmly. You had better be fine after all the effort I've gone to for this.
"Ready!" Chen appeared from behind Chikao, looking determined. She cast about the room until she found a cupboard.
"Get in!"
She opened it and gestured inside.
"Is that a good idea?" Riku asked as he followed her into the room. "Won't they just search the room and find us before we have a chance to blend in?"
The rest of the theatre troupe trooped into the room and looked at her expectantly.
"Alright, we could hide either side of the door and pretend to be rushing in with them?"
"I think they'd notice," Fumika observed. "They'll see us not entering the room."
"Surely it would be enough to stay in our rooms and pass ourselves off as Earth Kingdom guests," Joji suggested.
"No, they'll probably work it out if you do that," Zuko said. "You're a large group of people, and they recognise you. And that's without one of the other guests ratting you out."
He scowled at the receptionist as he said this, an unspoken don't you dare passing between them. The man got the drift and nodded frantically.
Chen thought for a moment, stepping over to the door deep in thought before jumping backwards in surprise after a particularly violent slam. Then she turned back to them.
"Maybe if we can make sure they're not looking at you, it'll work," she said. "Which would mean we need a distraction."
"What kind of distraction?" Sachiko asked.
Zuko suspected he had an idea. He sighed.
"I think I might have a distraction," he said. "But I'm afraid there's something I haven't told you."
"What?" Chen looked at him.
Should he tell her his identity? No, he decided. He was the Prince of the Fire Nation; Chen might have got over her dislike of ordinary members of his nation but a member of the Royal Family which had launched this attack might be a whole different proposition. And the fact he would have had to reveal he had been lying about everything would surely count against him. He was in too deep now. He was simply going to have to alter his cover story slightly.
"My father was a soldier," he said. "But my mother was not from the Earth Kingdom."
He held up his hand and took a breath. He felt something ignite within him, and he felt like he was stretching a muscle that had been neglected for weeks. A flame came to life in the palm of his hand.
Chen took a step backwards in shock.
"You're a Firebender?!"
Zuko nodded.
"I didn't want to tell you, because... well, because look around! I didn't know how you would react!"
He still didn't know. Chen looked at him for a long while, those green eyes boring into him with an intensity he had never seen before.
"Can we talk about this later?" She said. Zuko couldn't tell whether that was good or bad. But he nodded.
"What's the plan then?"
"Do the door plan," Zuko said. "They won't be looking at you, because they'll be too busy looking at me."
"You keep putting yourself in danger!" Chen pointed out. "This is unnecessary!"
Zuko went to stand at the bottom of the stairs, in full view of the front door.
"I'll be fine," he said. "I've only got to get to the roof before they can catch me and then I'll be in the clear."
"Thank you," Chikao nodded. "It will be better if nobody sees your face, I think."
He stepped forwards and pulled something out of his clothes, offering it to Zuko. The Prince looked down at it. It was a blue mask, depicting a scowling face. "We'll see you outside then?"
"Count on it," Zuko told him, taking the mask. "Thank you."
He nodded, and slipped it over his face. Now only his eyes would be visible.
"Now act like you've never acted before."
The group nodded, looking determined.
Zuko psyched himself up, and then nodded. He extended his fist downwards quickly, and a blast of flame ignited the floor in front of him. Over the cries of outrage from the receptionist, he then nodded to Chen who turned the key in the lock.
The door burst open and people began swarming in. The actors and Chen were immediately lost in the crowd as everyone came to a halt, staring at Zuko's silhouette.
"You'll never catch me!" He cackled, doing his best evil laughter. Then, for good measure, he shot a fireball over the heads of the crowd, deliberately aiming it high, just to really annoy them.
Nothing happened for a moment, and then..
"Get him!"
Zuko judged that it was time to leave, and so began dashing up the stairs, an angry mob in hot pursuit. He could only hope his new charges managed to get away in time.
